Lighter system for gas burners



June 21, 1960 E. J. BLANZY 2,941,588 LIGHTER SYSTEM FOR GAS BURNERSFiled Oct. 5, 1955 INVEN TOR. EUCwENE J. BLANZV ATTOIQNE'YJ.

' and heat dissipation.

United States Patent LIGHTER SYSTEM FOR GAS BURNERS Eugene J. Blanzy,Van Dyke, Mich., assignor to Lincoln Brass Works, Detroit, Micl1., acorporation of Michigan Filed Oct. 3, 1955, Ser. No. 538,139

3 Claims. (Cl. 158-115) This invention relates to a lighter system forgas burners, and is particularly adapted for gas burners of gas ranges.

The invention has to do with a system wherein each gas burner has itsown individual pilot flame, and it is an object of the invention toprovide a small but stable pilot flame, to provide for a minimum ofoxidation, in connection with both of which, there is a balance of heatinput A further object is to provide a burner system which isstructurally relatively flexible, so

that it can be mounted and used with facility, and wherein small feedertubes are provided for conducting gas to the several pilot flames. Thesmall feeder tubes, however, result in a relatively high velocity of thegas which would result in relatively long tenuous unstable flames, andin accordance with the invention larger terminal conduits Otherobjeotsand features will be appreciated as the following detailed descriptionis considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing whichshows'one system made in accordance with the invention.

, Another object of the invention is to prevent or minimize thepossibility of disassociating or cracking the gas into base components.This is done by maintaining at a relatively low temperature, a smallburner with a small passageway therein so as to notdisassociate the gascomponents as it flows therethrough, while at the same time maintaininga relatively high temperature at the burner tip to provide flamestability. j Fig.- 1 is a general view with parts cut away showing alighter system installed in an exemplary gas range.

Fig. 2 is a large cross sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1showing the relationship of a pilot burner with agasburner. F

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2illustrating a mounting.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view illustrating an exemplary lighter system.

Fig. 5 is a view of a manifold type of fitting for introducing gas intoseveral feeder tubes.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 5 showing internalstructure. I

The structure shown in Fig. 1 is intended to give an example of a gasrange, the same being provided with a top panel 1 and provided with fourburners 2, 3, 4 and 5 which are exposed through suitable openings in thetop.

handles of the valves being indicated at 13,. Each of the burners hasthe usual mixing tube, one of which is indicated at 14, into which thegas is projected from the mam fold 12 by the respective valve.

The system will be appreciated by reference to Fig. 4 which shows afitting 115 to be screw threaded into the manifold 12 and a body 16which may contain filtering material. A fitting 17 leads from the filter16 and it may have gas flow means controlled by an adjustable valvemember 18 to control the flow of gas to the lighter system. There is amanifold type of fitting 20 which may be 23. The outlet passages areformed so that each intersects the passage 22. Three feeder tubes 25,25a and 25b have their ends inserted in the apertures 23 and these endsmay be secured in place by means of a hard solder or, in any event, asolder capable of withstanding the heat to which it may be submitted.

In the form shown, there are three feeder tubes although the numberdepends upon the number and arrangement of the burners. One feeder tube25 is secured as by means of a compression fitting nut 27 to thethreaded portion 28 of an element 29 in the nature of a T fitting. ThisT fitting may be supported by a suitable bracket 30 (Fig. 3) and held inposition by a nut 31. Extending from the T fitting are two terminaltubes and 36. On the end of the terminal tube 36 is a pilot housing 37(Fig. 2) in the nature-of a cup open at one end and having a peripheralwall 38 and a bottom 39. This housing may be suitably formed of sheetmetal and its bottom is apertured for the reception of the tube and thebottom may be flanged at 40 for this purpose. The circumferential wall38 is provided with two oppositely positioned relatively elongated slotsor openings 41.

As shown in Fig. 2 the end of the terminal tube is closed by a plug 44and extending through the plug is a small tube in'the nature of ahypodermic needle 45. Gas flowing through the terminal tube passesthrough the needle and the escaping gas supports a small relatively fatstable flame as indicated at F. The pilot housing is placed in suitableproximity to a gas burner, the gas burner 2 being illustrated in Fig. 2,and one or more of the ports thereof, as indicated at 46. The burner 2may be equipped with a spud or jet device 48 positioned to pass gas intothe pilot housing when gas is supplied to the burner tube for ignitionpurposes. The outer end of the needle is preferably formed in a diagonalmanner as illustrated at 47 for purposes which will presently appear.

On the end of the terminal tube 35 is a similar pilot housing 48. Thefeeder tube 25a extends to similar terminal tubes 35a and 36a and theparts and the pilot burner housings are the same as those just describedand, accordingly, have the same reference characters applied theretowith the addition of the letter a. The feeder tube 25b supplies gas tothe pilot burner 59. In this case, however, there is only one terminaltube 51 extending from suitable fitting or fixture 52, the feeder tube25b being connected thereto by the compression fitting 53 and thethreaded portion having a nut 54 by means of which the fitting 52 may bemounted. When the system shown in Fig. 4 is mounted in a gas rangestructure as shown in Fig. 1, the several pilot housings are located inproximity to the burners as, for example, the pilot housing .37 is inproximity to the burner 2 and the other pilot burner housings are inproximity to the three other burners as indicated. The burner housing 50is in proximity to the burner 10.

In use, gas is constantly supplied through the several feeder tubes andpilot flames, as indicated at F, burn constantly adjacent each of theburners. When gas is supplied to a burner such, for example, as theburner 2, as by opening the valve therefor by means of the handle 13,gas passing out through the port 46 is ignited by the flame P (Fig. 2)and the ignition chains around the periphery of the burner to ignite gasissuing from all ports.

The feeder tubes 25, 25a and 25b are small in diameter and thus flexibleso that the assembly can be mounted with facility and the small flexiblefeeder tubes may be fashioned or bent by hand if need be in order to fitthe same into the structure of the stove. The feeder tubes being smallresult in relatively high velocity of the gas flowing therethrough. Forexample, a satisfactory feeder tube is one which is about .069 insidediameter. The gas flowing from such a tube would result in a relativelylong tenuous unstable flame. Therefore, the small feeder tube isconnected into the larger terminal tubes, such as tubes 35 and 36. Thevelocity of the gas flowing through the terminal tubes is thus lower andresults in the more bulbous or fat stable flame indicated at F (Fig. 2).A satisfactory terminal tube is one about .16" inside diameter. It willbe appreciated that some feeder tubes are longer than others but withinthe limitation of the usual gas burning equipment, such as a gas range,the difference in the length of the tubes is inconsequential.

The relatively large terminal tubes provide a mass of metal at the pilotburner to thus absorb and dissipate the heat. In this connection theneedle burner 45 preferably projects out through the plug 44 about Me".It is necessary in order to maintain a stable pilot flame that theneedle at its end whereat the pilot flame burns be maintained in a hotcondition. At the same time, however, it is necessary to so constructthe pilot burner as to prevent or minimize oxidation. If the smallburner tube be placed in the end of the tube the size of a small feedertube, the small burner tube would get too hot and would result inoxidation. Moreover, if the outer end of the burner tube projected arelatively great distance from the mass of heat absorbing metal theneedle would get too hot too far back from its tip end with the resultthat with gases of certain types there would be cracking of gas withinthe needle which may leave deposits of solid material in the smallpassage of the needle. On the other hand, a needle which is too coldwill not support a stable flame. A satisfactory needle is one about.035" outside diameter and about .023" inside diameter for usual citygas and bottled gases. For situations where so-called liquid petroleumgases or bottled gases are mixed with air resulting in faster burning, asatisfactory needle is one having about .049" outside diameter and about.033" inside diameter. The distance the needle projects into theterminal tube is of little consequence with respect to controlling thetemperature of the needle.

The pilot burners are thus arranged and constructed to support a verysmall pilot flame. Preferably the flames are of such small size as toproduce about 50 B.t.u.s per hour. Flames of this size do not produceobjectionable hot spots in the top of the range. The openings 41- ineach housing provide air for supporting the flame. The openings 41 alsoprovide for reliefof products of combustion not only from the pilotflame itself but also from the flame of the gas issuing from the jetdevice 48. It will be understood that a flame burns at the jet device 48all the while gas is supplied to the burner tube. In this connection, itis to be noted that the exposed end of the needle burner terminatmwithin the contour of or, in other words, between the sidewalls of theopenings 41. This is a preferred arrangement and it provides proper airfor the burning of the small pilot flame while at the same time thehousing protects" the flame from drafts. The openings 41 may be in anyposition either above" 4 and below the pilot flame or on the sidesthereof and thus no particular care need be devoted to the rotatableposition of the pilot housing. While the tip of the burner lies betweenthe side walls of the openings, the pilot flame, as indicated in Fig. 2,may project somewhat beyond the openings.

' cilitate and insure that the extreme end of the needle will besufliciently hot to aid in supporting a stable flame, its extreme end isformed diagonally as illustrated so that the extremely small amount ofmetal at its tip end will be adequately heated. Yet, the burner tuberearwardly from its tip end is not heated to the point where there isliable to be cracking of gas within the needle burner nor is it heatedto the point whereat deleterious oxidation would occur. Conversely ifthe needle does not project far enough from the end of the terminal tubeand its plug, the heat is dissipated too rapidly resulting in arelatively cold needle tip and an unstable flame.

I claim: v I

l. Ignition means for a gas burner comprising, a feeder tube ofrelatively small interior diameter for conducting gas from a source ofsupply, a terminal tube of relatively large internal diameter into whichthe feeder tube communicates, a burner tube for receiving gas from theterminal tube, said burner tube being substantially in the form of ahollow needle having an internal diameter smaller than theinte'rnaldiameter of the feeder tube and having an end which projects from theend of the terminal tube whereat a pilot flame is to burn in proximityto the gas burner, the said end of the burner tube project ing from theend of the terminal tube a distance such that the output of heat of thepilot flame is so balanced with the dissipation of heat, that the end ofthe burner tube remains in heated condition, thus stabilizing the pilotflame, and the burner tube upstream from said end remains relativelycool to substantially prevent oxidation and cracking of gas within theburner tube, said feeder tube having an interior diameter in thevicinity of .069", the terminal tube having an interior diameter in thevicinity of .16", and the burner tube having an interior diameter in therange from about .023 to about'1033, said end of the burner tubeprojecting from the end of the terminal tube about A 2. Ignition meansfor a gas burner comprising, a feeder tube of relatively small interiordiameter for conducting gas from a source of supply, a terminal tube ofrelatively large internal diameter into which the feeder tubecommunicates, a burner tube for receiving gas from the terminal tube,said burner tube being substantially in the form of a hollow needlehaving an internal diameter smaller than the internal diameter of thefeeder tube and having an end which projects from the end of theterminal tube whereat a pilot flame is to burn in proximity to the gasburner, said burner tube having an interior diameter in the range fromabout .023" to about 0.33", said end of the burner tube projectingoutwardly from the end of the terminal tube about /i", whereby with theresulting heat dissipation rate, said end of the burner tube in thevicinity of the pilot flame remains heated to stabilize the flame andthe tube upstream there from remains relatively cool to substantiallyprevent ox idat ion and cracking of gas therein.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 wherein said terminal tube has aclosed end from which said burner tube projects outwardly, said burnertube having an npstreaniend spaced from the walls defining said closed:

5 end and projecting into said terminal tube at least about 1,376,646 A"to prevent clogging of said burner tube. 2 2,285,704 References Cited inthe file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 566,647 951,724 ColeMar. 8, 1910 911,888

6 Rutz May 3, 1921 Lurie July 23, 1929 Frank June 9, 1942 FOREIGNPATENTS France Nov. 26, 1923 France Apr. 8, 1946

